Amidst Chaos

“Are you serious?” The shrill excitement in my best friend’s voice was so loud, I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

“Yes, Nate,” I laughed, sharing his enthusiasm. I was thrilled too. Who would have thought that I’d land a job as a kindergarten teacher in Seattle, of all the places I’d applied?

Teaching was my passion and this was my first job offer. I couldn’t turn it down just because my best friend happened to live there.

“This is going to be so fucking cool, dude. We’re going to be roommates,” he blurted out, and my eyes widened in surprise.

The idea of moving to Seattle was already daunting, given that I’d have to face him. Now he was suggesting we live together. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.

“He moved out a month ago. I’ve been living alone since then,” he explained. “It would be perfect, Becca,” he added, his voice taking on a persuasive tone. I found myself melting at the way my name rolled off his tongue.

“Ummm...I don’t think so,” I managed to say, biting my lip and silently praying he’d drop the subject. High school and college had been hard enough. I didn’t think I could go through that again.

The problem was, I’d always been the best friend, never the girlfriend. I’d even started to think he didn’t see me as a girl at all. I was more like one of his guy friends, but I didn’t want to be seen that way.

“No more questions. You’re staying with me and that’s final. I’ve missed you so much, Becca. It’s been almost a year since college,” he declared, interrupting my thoughts.

“Alright, we’ll talk about it later. I’ll be flying in this weekend.”

“Good, that gives me plenty of time to convince you.” I could almost see the smirk on his face as I rolled my eyes, a small smile tugging at my lips.

“Alright, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye, love you Becs,” he said, as he always did before hanging up.

“I love you too,” I whispered to the blank screen of my phone, then groaned in frustration.

That’s me, Rebecca Thompson, hopelessly in love with my best friend, Nate, since high school. I thought I was over him by now, but I was so fucking wrong.

Just the sound of his deep, sexy voice made me go nuts, bringing back a flood of unwanted memories. Pushing those thoughts aside, I pulled my long chestnut brown hair into a ponytail and headed downstairs for breakfast.

“Did you tell Nate?” My mom asked as soon as I sat down at the table. Yes, I was still living with my mom. It was just the two of us. My dad had passed away from cancer when I was two years old. I hardly remembered him.

“Yes, Mom,” I mumbled, filling my plate with eggs and bacon.

“Well, I’m glad you have someone to help you settle in. Moving to a new city can be pretty scary, sweetheart,” she said, a concerned look on her face.

She was almost my height, with the same chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. I had blue eyes, the one physical trait I’d inherited from my dad. She worked as a senior consultant at an MNC company, and I knew how hard she’d struggled to get there.

“I know, Mom, but I’m not a kid anymore. Nate will help me. In fact, he suggested that I stay with him,” I blurted out, causing her eyebrows to shoot up.

“Someone is finally noticing my baby girl,” she said with a sly smile, making me roll my eyes. She knew all about my high school crush on him.

“He never sees me that way, Mom, and I don’t think it’s going to be any different now,” I muttered, poking at my eggs with my fork.

“I honestly don’t know what you see in him. He is good looking, though. I’ll give you that,” she winked at me, taking her plate to the sink.

“MOM!” I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks burn. Sometimes I forgot she was my mom. She was more like the best girlfriend I never had.

“What? It’s true. If I were you, I would have already tapped that ass,” she joked, making me laugh. “Trust me, he’s a fool not to notice a girl like you. I hope something interesting happens in Seattle.”

“He could already have a girlfriend for all I know,” I said, my mouth full of food.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t. And if he does, you better show him what he’s missing out on,” she shouted from the kitchen. I stood up, taking my plate to the sink.

“Yeah, whatever. You should find someone soon instead of advising me.”

“Not this again,” she groaned, throwing her head back.

“Yes, again. You need someone to take care of you when I’m not here, Mom. And I know you’re not dating because of me. I’m telling you for the millionth time, I’m fine with it,” I hugged her from behind, feeling her shoulders relax.

“Alright, I’ll think about it,” she said softly, making me smile. She’d always worked so hard for us. It was about time she took a break.

“That’s much better. I’m going to go pack now.” I kissed her cheek and ran upstairs to my room.

I started packing all my things, making sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. I didn’t have many people to say goodbye to. Nate was my only friend.

After graduation, he’d moved to Seattle for a job as a game designer. He was into gaming and stuff. I thought it was for the best when he moved far away from me.

For as long as I could remember, he was always entangled in some relationship or another. I never found the right moment to confess my feelings. Perhaps this job was the universe's way of aligning our stars, maybe this was our moment of perfect synchronicity.

My mind began to wander, conjuring up wild scenarios. I couldn't suppress the smile that spread across my face at the thought of gazing into those smoldering, seductive eyes once more, and the tantalizing possibility of sharing a home with him.

Oh, how I yearned for things to be different this time around!

“Finally done!” I exhaled in relief, zipping up my suitcase, and collapsed onto my bed.